Rooftop Solar: Does It Really Need the Grid?

In Australia’s remote and distant outback, the development of micro- and mini-grids based on solar and battery storage seems a logical step to take, even an economically viable one. But the bigger question for network operators around the world is whether customers in more populated areas will eventually look to adopt similar measures. At what point, for instance, will the ability of homeowners to buy the necessary equipment for power generation from their local home-improvement store challenge the future viability of the networks? And at what point will it become possible for communities to pool resources and decide that it will be cheaper to look after their own electricity needs rather than stay on the grid? According to some groups, that point may not be so far away. There are two technologies that will make this possible. The proliferation of rooftop solar is well doc...